Books that Feature the Theme of Femininity

This thematic Collection highlights Books that Feature the Theme of Femininity. Through novels, plays, and works of nonfiction, the selections in this Collection explore the feminine experience in a variety of historical settings and cultures as they examine topics such as gender roles, feminism, and what it means to be feminine.

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Historical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism

Elif Shafak’s 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World was published in 2019. Shafak is an award-winning British Turkish novelist who advocates for women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights through her fiction. Shafak’s 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World examines the life of a sex worker who was murdered in Istanbul, Turkey, exploring key moments in her life while her friends desperately try to arrange her funeral. The novel investigates topics like violence against... Read 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Colonialism, Society: WarTags Historical Fiction, Vietnam War

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gender / Feminism

Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gender / Feminism

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: MidlifeTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Colonialism, Relationships: Marriage, Society: War, Identity: Femininity, Identity: RaceTags Historical Fiction, Military / War, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Historical Fiction

Publication year 1996Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Society: War, Society: Economics, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Disability, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Birth, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Class, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Grief / Death

A Game of Thrones is a 1996 epic fantasy novel by George R. R. Martin and is the first in his long-running A Song of Ice and Fire series. The novel introduces the audience to the fictional world of Westeros, where characters become embroiled in a complicated web of plots, conspiracies, and betrayals as they pursue power. A Game of Thrones won numerous awards on publication and was adapted for television in 2011. This guide... Read A Game of Thrones Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Publication year 1996Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Survival Fiction

A Girl Named Disaster (1996) is a novel by Nancy Farmer. At the start of the novel, 11-year-old Nhamo lives in her remote Mozambique village with her late mother’s family. When the local doctor, or muvuki, decides that Nhamo is to blame for her family’s recent misfortune, her aunt and uncle decide to marry her off in an arranged marriage. Desperate to avoid this fate, Nhamo flees the village and sets out in a boat... Read A Girl Named Disaster Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Natural World: Environment, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government, Social Justice

A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things: A Guide to Capitalism, Nature, and the Future of the Planet (2017) is a nonfiction book written by Raj Patel, a political economist and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and Jason W. Moore, an environmental historian and associate professor at Binghamton University. The authors’ expertise in political economy and environmental history provides a unique perspective on the interconnected nature of capitalism and ecological... Read A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things Summary


Publication year 1981Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Politics / Government

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & PrideTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Publication year 1990Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Society: Nation

Amongst Women by John McGahern is a contemporary Irish novel published in 1990. This novel explores themes of The Individual in a Changing World, The Individual Versus the Collective, and The Importance of Women. Amongst Women is also specific to Irish history and culture, as it portrays a rapidly modernizing Ireland that threatens the protagonist Moran’s sense of self. Considered McGahern’s greatest work, Amongst Women is the fifth of his six published novels. It was... Read Amongst Women Summary


Publication year 1939Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Society: ColonialismTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modernism

Published in 1939, And Then There Were None is a mystery novel by Agatha Christie, best-selling novelist of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. With over 100 million copies sold, And Then There Were None is the world’s best-selling crime novel as well as one of the best-selling books of all time. It has had more adaptations than any other work by Agatha Christie, including television programs, films, radio broadcasts, and most... Read And Then There Were None Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Publication year 1985Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Society: ColonialismTags Classic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman

Annie John, published in 1985, is the second book by the Antiguan American author Jamaica Kincaid (née Elaine Cynthia Potter Richardson). Annie John is a coming-of-age novel that follows the life of a young girl from age 10 to 17, until she leaves her home in Antigua, bound for nursing school in England. In the novel, Annie describes her most important relationships, and the bond with her mother is chief among them. Life is heaven... Read Annie John Summary


Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Indigenous, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Historical Fiction

Antelope Woman is a novel by Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) author Louise Erdrich. First published in 1998 as The Antelope Wife, Erdrich revised and updated the text in 2012 and re-issued it, adding new content, storylines, and chapters. Like much of Erdrich’s other work, the novel is a multi-generational story of both Indigenous and white families set in and around traditional Ojibwe lands in North Dakota and Minnesota. Erdrich is known for her use of magical realism... Read Antelope Woman Summary


Publication year 1944Genre Play, FictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Play: Tragedy, French Literature

Publication year 1607Genre Play, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Classic Fiction, Play: Tragedy, Play: Historical, Romance

Antony and Cleopatra is a play by William Shakespeare that was first performed in 1607. The plot centers around the romantic affair between a Roman general, Mark Antony, and the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra. Shakespeare had previously written the tragedy Julius Caesar in 1599 and this play continues to follow the history of Rome’s transformation from a republic into an empire. Antony and Cleopatra is one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, portraying the downfall of... Read Antony and Cleopatra Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Colonialism, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Society: WarTags Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Publication year 1592Genre Play, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Play: Tragedy, Elizabethan Era, Mystery / Crime Fiction

Arden of Faversham is an Elizabethan play originally performed in 1592. The play’s authorship is disputed. While potential authors include Thomas Kyd, Christopher Marlowe, and Thomas Watson, computer stylometric analyses attribute probable authorship to William Shakespeare. The Oxford Shakespeare attributes the play to Shakespeare and an anonymous collaborator, potentially Watson.The play is the first extant example of English domestic tragedy, which would subsequently flourish throughout Elizabeth and Jamesian drama and be rekindled in the 1700s... Read Arden of Faversham Summary


Publication year 1965Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Free verse, Animals, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Confessional

Publication year 1929Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: SexualityTags Gender / Feminism, Philosophy

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf, first published in 1929, is a book-length essay that Woolf modeled after a series of her at the University of Cambridge. A Room of One’s Own is considered a classic and exemplary piece of modernist criticism that questions traditional values. It examines the topic of “women and fiction”–women characters in fiction; the great women authors in English history who wrote fiction; and, more abstractly, “the fiction that... Read A Room of One's Own Summary


Publication year 1908Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Satire, Edwardian Era

A Room with a View is a 1908 novel by British author E. M. Forster. The novel is split between Italy and England, telling the story of Lucy Honeychurch, a young and spirited middle-class Englishwoman who embarks on a journey of self-discovery during a trip to Italy. During her travels, Lucy falls in love with the free-spirited and unconventional George Emerson, a fellow tourist, but is later forced to choose between her heart's desire and... Read A Room with a View Summary


Publication year 2002Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Historical Fiction

Written in 2002 by Mary Jane Auch, Ashes of Roses is a historical fiction novel that follows a young Irish immigrant named Rose Nolan as she comes to New York City with her family. Seeking a better life in America, Rose finds work at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. The novel chronicles her experiences as an immigrant and a factory worker and examines the events up to the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911. Through... Read Ashes Of Roses Summary


Publication year 1971Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: MothersTags Depression / Suicide, Gender / Feminism

“A Sorrowful Woman” is Gail Godwin’s most anthologized short story and tackles the themes of depression, domesticity, and female identity. Godwin is a best-selling American author and multiple National Book Award finalist who often explores these themes in her novels. “A Sorrowful Woman,” a subversion of the fairy tale, details a woman’s struggles with her role as wife and mother and the expectations and disappointments that lead her to suicide. Godwin’s unnamed characters upend the... Read A Sorrowful Woman Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Society: War, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Fantasy, Romance, Gothic Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: War, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, Gender / Feminism

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Society: ClassTags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mythology, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism

Publication year 1951Genre Poem, FictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism

Publication year 1977Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: FemininityTags Disability

“Average Waves in Unprotected Waters,” originally published in the February 28, 1977 edition of The New Yorker, is one of American author Anne Tyler’s most anthologized stories. Through the third-person-limited point of view of the protagonist, Bet Blevins, Tyler presents the story of a single mother on the day she intends to institutionalize her developmentally disabled son, Arnold. As Bet struggles to navigate her complex emotions regarding Arnold, the story explores themes of the conflicting... Read Average Waves in Unprotected Waters Summary


Publication year 1964Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Mothers

Publication year 1892Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Race / Racism, African American Literature, Gender / Feminism

Publication year 1893Genre Play, FictionThemes Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, Victorian Literature / Period

A Woman of No Importance is a play by Oscar Wilde that was first performed in 1893. It is one of Wilde’s four drawing room plays, which satirize English high society, but critics often consider this play to be his least successful. The action of the play takes place at a party held at Lady Hunstanton’s English country estate and depicts the conflict that arises when Lord Illingworth, a wealthy and charming aristocrat, encounters his... Read A Woman of No Importance Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)

Bad Feminist is a collection of essays from writer, scholar, and social critic Roxane Gay. Published in 2014 by Harper Perennial, the New York Times best seller draws together an array of topics, from pop culture to literary discourse to political legislation to personal recollections, in an analysis of society, culture, and politics. Gay tackles modern patriarchy and racism in ways that emphasize the humanity of marginalized people and how those systems of oppression deny... Read Bad Feminist Summary


Publication year 1990Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Publication year 1971Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Gender / Feminism, Narrative / Epic Poem, American Literature

The American writer Marge Piercy wrote “Barbie Doll.” Originally published in Moving Out (1971), the poem also appears in her 1982 collection, Circles on the Water. A highly descriptive poem, “Barbie Doll” offers staunch diction and vivid, stereotypical imagery of a girl who grows up and dies by suicide as an adult. This free verse poem is an example of second-wave feminist thought, also known as the Women’s Liberation Movement, something Piercy explores here through... Read Barbie Doll Summary


Publication year 1988Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Military / War, History: U.S., Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, American Civil War

Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy by Seymour Reit is a work of historical fiction and children’s literature based on the true story of a young woman who pretends to be a man so that she can join the Union army during the US Civil War. The book’s target audience is ages 10-14, and it uses a simple style to appeal to a young audience. It is categorized as... Read Behind Rebel Lines Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Self DiscoveryTags Fantasy, Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature

Publication year 1920Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Self DiscoveryTags Classic Fiction, American Literature, The Lost Generation

“Bernice Bobs Her Hair” is a short story by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story demonstrates Fitzgerald’s interest in the shifting social trends of the 1920s American Jazz Age, in which he and his wife, Zelda, figured prominently. While drawing on Modernist concerns and the literary tradition of makeover stories, Fitzgerald particularly highlights themes of Shifting Feminine Identity in the Early 20th Century, Downfall Through the Temptation of Social Acceptance, and Detachment in Modern... Read Bernice Bobs Her Hair Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Self DiscoveryTags LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman

Publication year 1929Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Mental HealthTags Relationships, Depression / Suicide, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Addiction / Substance Abuse

“Big Blonde” is a short story written by Dorothy Parker. It was first published in 1929 in The Bookman (a prestigious New York City literary magazine) and won the O. Henry competition for the best story that same year. It was later published in Parker’s 1930 short-story collection Laments for the Living.This study guide refers to the online flipbook version of “Big Blonde.”Content Warning: The source text contains references to domestic violence, alcohol addiction, and... Read Big Blonde Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Race / Racism

Publication year 2000Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: MothersTags Love / Sexuality, Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction

Publication year 1993Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality

Publication year 1958Genre Novella, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Classic Fiction, American Literature

Breakfast at Tiffany's is a 1958 novella by Truman Capote. In the story, an unnamed narrator is introduced to a young woman named Holly Golightly and the unique New York world she inhabits. The novella is one of Capote’s most popular works and has been adapted as a musical, a play, and most famously as an Academy Award-winning film in 1961 starring Audrey Hepburn. This guide refers to the eBook version of the 2000 Penguin... Read Breakfast at Tiffany’s Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: MothersTags Japanese Literature, Gender / Feminism, Asian Literature